Hoisting and mooring device



Aug. 25, 1942. E, CROOKE HOISTING AND MOORING DEVICE Filed June 2, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR mos ([ZE- C1 00]86 (l/L fa; A W- TORNEY g 1942- E. CROOKE HQISTING AND MOORIN'T: DEVICE Filed June 2, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ymmed, E. Crooks 2 4 A aArn/l- ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1942. R. E. CROOKE HOISTING AND MOORING DEVICE Filed June 2, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVVENTOR Ragnwnol E. CrooJte .ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1942. R. E, URO OKE HOISTING AND MOORING DEVICE Filed June 2, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Ida qmondli CTOOJCG ATTO RN EY Patented Aug. 25, 1 942 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE to Ford Instrument Company,

Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 2, 1939, Serial No. 276,958

3 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to mooring and hoisting apparatus and more particularly to apparatus of this type employed on board vessels, on wharves, or at any shore station, for handling, mooring or hoisting Water or air-borne O j c s subject to the action of water or air waves.

In apparatus of this character, after the floating object such as represented, for example, by a floating airship or seaplane, has been brought alongside of a vessel, station or wharf on which the apparatus is mounted, the cable is first attached thereto. Due to the action of the waves, sudden strains are imposed not only on the cable, but in the present instance on the plane, because of the movements thereof relative to the wharf or to the movements of the vessel. These sudden strains often cause either snapping of the cable or serious damage to the plane since its construction is not sufficiently rugged to withstand these strains. Also in some instances it is extremely difiicult to attach the cable to the plane due to the independent bobbing movement thereof, relative to the rolling and pitching of the ship under the conditions of a heavy seaway or rough water.

In certain devices of this type attempts have been made to overcome some of these difliculties by providing devices in which the mooring cable or rope is maintained under tension, and to provide means for manually controlling the hoisting operation. These devices are so connected and arranged that the manually controlled means must be operated at exactl the right moment in order to avoid damage to the object being handled during the shift-over from the mooring to the hoisting operation.

It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus of this type in which the objections to the previous devices are overcome and whereby the airship or other object may be safely moored in place and efficiently hoisted in the air, or from the water, or from the sea, at will.

It is another object of the invention to provide means for automatically operating the drum of a winch to pay out cable when sudden loads are imposed thereon, and to wind in cable when any slack occurs therein.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved mechanism for controlling the operation of such automatic means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for automatically harmonizing the movement of the hook with the object being handled during the mooring period to facilitate the attaching operation, and to include means manually operable, for controlling the hoisting operation either from the object, or from the wharf, shore station, or vessel on which the mooring and hoisting apparatus is installed.

In accordance with this invention these objects together with other objects and certain advantages, which will hereinafter appear, are accomplished by the use of a mooring and hoisting apparatus comprising a rotatably mounted drum having a cable leading from the drum to a hook attached to its outer end and which hook is attachable to an object to be moored or hoisted.

The object may be either air or water-borne and subject to wave action due to air or water, and the drum may be mounted on a wharf or ship or located at any shore station.

The drum is operated by a reversible motor under the control of a control member, which is actuated by the tension in the cable produced by the movement of the object relative to the ship or station on which the drum is placed. The tension in the cable efiects the movement of the control member to operate the motor and consequently the drum in respectively opposite directions to raise and lower the hook relative to the drum and in harmony with the movement of the object.

The control member is automatically operated during the mooring period by the tension in the cable produced by the object being handled and during the hoisting period by manually operable means. For simplification of the description the word hoisting is intended to include lowering as well as lifting operations.

Additional means are also provided whereby a second cable or rope attachable to the object being handled, or to another water-borne object alongside of the first object, controls the actuation of the control member to synchronize the movement of the hook with that of the object and means are included for adjusting the length of this second cable relative to that of the first cab e and for maintaining the adjusted relative lengths of the two cables constant. This r'ope instead of being fastened to the object may be manipulated from the object by an occupant thereon to hoist the object.

The invention will now be more particularly described by reference to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, and will be hereinafter pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings;

Fig, 1 i a diagrammatic view of a vessel in a body of water and an airplane moored alongside the Vessel and showing one form of mooring and hoisting tackle;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the vessel and airplane of Fig. 1 in displaced relative positions due to the action of the body of water;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the winch and associated elements of the apparatus for mooring and hoisting the plane shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a modification of the mooring and hoisting tackle shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammaticview of the mooring and hoisting tackle of Fig. 5 and showing the vessel and the lane in displaced relative positions due to the action of the body of water;

Fig. 7 is a plan of the winch and associated elements of the apparatus for mooring and hoisting the plane shown in Figs. 5 and 6; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line Of Fig.

While for the purpose of illustrating and describing the invention the preferred embodiment thereof has been shown as an installation designed primarily for mooring seaplanes or other floating objects, and for hoisting them on board of a ship; it will be distinctly understood that the invention is susceptible to use both on land and water, and for handling either air or waterborne objects, subject to wave action due either to air or water.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2- consists essentially of a support or vessel I on which is. mounted a mast 2 carrying a boom 3 adapted to be swung outboard over the water and inboard relative to the vessel l. A rope or cable Li suitably secured adjacent to the free end of the boom 3 leads through a pulley 5, and over pulleys l and 8 to the. drum of a winch mounted on the vessel I and indicated generally at 9. The drum is adapted, as will be hereinafter described, to wind and unwind the cable 4, and thereby raise or lower the pulley 5 relative to the b.oom..3. The block of the pulley 5. is provided with an attaching device or hook 6 adapted to be detachably fastened to a ring carried by slings (not shown) secured to any suitable part of a seaplane m or other water-borne object to be handled.

As shown in Fig. 1 the seaplane I6 is waterborne on the sea or other body of water alongside of the vessel l substantially beneath the free end of the boom 3 and to which it is moored by means. of the rope or cable 4. When the vessel l rolls in the water and the seaplane it rises and falls due to the action of the waves, as shown in Fig. 2, the boom 3 and the. seaplane i0 will approach and move away from each other as will beapparent. During these conditions the boom 3 may swing downwardly and thereby produce slack in the cable 4, and immediately there after may swing upwardly due to the rolling of the vessel and cause the cable to suddenly become taut unlessthe cable is hauled in and fed out by the winch 9.

Furthermore, under the conditions of a heavy seaway or rough water, due to the independent bobbing movement of the seaplane relative to the rolling and pitching of the vessel, it is extremely difiicult if not impossible, to attach the cable to the plane unless some provision ismade to facilitate this operation, such as that shown in the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, which will hereinafter be described.

The mechanism illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 consists essentially of a winch 9, an operating mechanism H, and a control mechanism [2, all suitably mounted on a base l3 which is secured to the deck of the vessel I.

The winch 9 comprises a rotatable drum 14 having extension shafts l5 and i6 mounted in suitable supports 11 carried by the base l3 and adapted to wind and unwind the cable 4 which is connected to the seaplane I?) as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The mechanism H for operating the drum M of the winch 9 comprises a hydraulic motor 18 connected to, drive the drum i4 through shaft I9, flexible coupling 21], gearing 2!, and the shaft 22 which is a continuation of the shaft 15. The motor.l8 has ports connected by means of pipes 23 and is with corresponding ports of a variable capacity, reversible hydraulic pump 25. The pump 25 may be driven by any suitable means, such as a substantially constant speed electric motor 28, connectedto drive the pump 25 through a shaft'2'l, flexible-coupling 28 and a shaft 29.

The variable capacity reversible fluid pressure pump 25 and the hydraulic, or fluid pressure motor l8, operated thereby, may be of any suitable construction such, for example, as thewell known'Waterbury type in which the pump 25 is commonly referred to as the A end, and the motor {8 as the B end. A form of this mechanism is described in United States patent to R. Janney, No. 924,787, and dated June 15, 1909.

The mechanism l2 for controlling the operating mechanism ll comprises a biasing member 38, operated by the tension in the cable 4 produced by the movement of the seaplane l0 relative to the boom 3, and operatively connected to control the movement ofa rotatably mounted control member 3| which operates the tilting box (not shown) of the pump 25.

The biasing member 33 which may be of any suitable construction such as, for example, a roller 32, is rotatably mounted for movement in and with a movable U-shapedframe 33. The frame 33;comprises, a member 34 pivotally mounted in standards 35 secured to the base l3, and two laterally extending, arms 36 and 3?, journaled toreceive shaft 33 of the'roller 32. The angular movement of the frame 33 is limited by extensions of the shaft 38 which extend into arcuate slots or slides 39 in the standards 35, as shown in Fig. 4. By this construction the frame 33 and with it the biasing roller 32 have limited movement about the axis of the member 34.

Referring now to Fig. 4, movement of the frame33 is restrained by the action of two springs 40 and 4| secured to the outer ends of the arms 33 and 3'! respectively, and to the base l3. The tension of the springs 10 and 4| is regulated to equal approximately the pull due to the unbalanced weight of the cable 4 from the drum to its outer end, plus the weight of the block 5, the friction of the pulleys through which the cable passes, and enough extra tension to permit suflicient movement of the biasing roller 32 to cause the control member 3| to operatethe mechanism H.

The movement of the biasing member or roller 32 and consequently that of the frame 33, is communicated to the control member 3| in the following manner: Mounted on one end of the rotatable member 33 for movement therewith is an arm constituting one of the arms of a bell crank lever 43 the other arm of which is the arm 36 of the frame 33. One end of a link 44 is pivotally mounted at 45 on the outer end of the arm '42 of the bell crank lever 43, and the other end is supported by means of a block 46 slidably engaging with the sides of a longitudinally arranged slot 41 in the link 44. The block 46 is normally maintained in a central position in the slot 4! by means of opposed centering springs 48, which act through bolt heads 48a, and against the inner faces of the cross pieces 48b of the link 44. The nuts 480 are for adjusting the block 46 normally to the center of the slot 4'1. The block 46 is pivotally connected by means of a pin 49 to another lever arm 5|]. The lever 50 is secured to the control member 3| which operates the tilting box of the pump 25 to control the operation of the drum M. The upper end 5| of the lever 55 constitutes a hand lever for the manual operation of the control member 3|.

For the purpose of locking the control mechanism so that the control member 3| may maintain the tilting box of the pump 25 in a neutral position, a pedal device 52 is provided having a slot 53 adjacent one end thereof and adapted to engage the lower end 54 of the lever 50 when the control member 3| is in its neutral position. One end of the pedal device 52 is pivotally mounted, by means of a pin 55 to a bracket 55 which is secured to the base l3, and the other end of the pedal device is mounted on a spring 51 which resiliently holds the slot 53 into engagement with the lower end 54 of the lever 50.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, the operation of mooring the seaplane l alongside the vessel and of hoisting the plane on board thereof will now be described.

When the seaplane I is alongside of the vessel and in position approximately beneath the boom 3, a heaving line attached to the hook 6 of the pulley 5 is thrown from the deck of the vessel to the plane where it is passed through a ring attached to the end of a sling used to hoist the plane. The heaving line is next pulled through the ring until the hook is in position where it may be hooked on to the ring.

During this period the control member 3| is released by depressing the pedal 52 and the cable 4 and hook 6 are payed out by the motor l8 due to tension in the cable caused by the pull on the heaving line until the hook 6 is brought to a position which will permit it to be hooked on to the slings of the plane. As soon as this is accomplished the control member 3| is automatically operated by the tension in the cable 4 produced by the movement of the plane relative to the free end of the boom 3 and its action on the biasing member 35, to operate the drum M in respectively opposite directions to raise and lower the hook relative to the boom 3 and in harmony with the movement of the object. It will be seen that the increased tension on the cable 4 due to a pull on the heaving line attached to the hook 6 will lift roller 32 and rotate the frame 33 and bell crank 43 against the springs 45 and 4|. This movement of the bell crank will be transmitted through the link 44 to the lever 50 and the control element 3| to rotate it counter-clockwise, as seen in Fig. 4. This counterclockwise movement of the control element causes the hydraulic gear to operate to feed or pay out the cable 4 until the springs 40 and 4| resume their normal tension and the control element returns to its zero position. After the hook 6 is attached to the plane the operation 4| pull the roller 32 and the associated frame 34 down. The bell crank 43 and the control 3| now move clockwise and the hydraulic gear is operated in the opposite direction to haul in on the cable until the balancing tension is reached again. It will be apparent that during this period the cable 4 is maintained against slack.

When it is desired to hoist the seaplane from the water, the control member 3| is operated manually by means of the hand lever 5|. It will be apparent that when the plane is once out of the water, the operator has complete control of raising and lowering the plane relative to the ship and that he can therefore lower the plane to its cradle on the deck of the ship by means of the hand lever 5|. Likewise it will be seen that the operator can raise the plane from its cradle and lower it into the water. When the operator is manually actuating the control member 3| he must overcome one or the other of the springs 48.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that during the period in which the plane is moored to the vessel the control member 3| is operated automatically in accordance with the movement of the plane relative to the vessel and also that during the period in which the plane is being hoisted the control member 3| is manually operated.

Illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is a modification to the mooring and hoisting tackle shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and described above. In this modification an additional cable or lead line 68 is provided which leads over a pulley 6|, suitably mounted near the free end of the boom 3, and another pulley 62 also suitably mounted on the mast 2 of the vessel to an additional drum ll (Fig. 7) operatively connected to the drum M of the winch 5. Secured to the end of the lead line 59 is an attaching device or hook 54, which is adapted to be detachably fastened to any suitable part of the plane or other water-borne object to be handled.

The lead line or cable 5|] instead of being fastened to the plane by means of the hook 64 may be held by one of the members of the crew of the plane in a manner hereinafter described. The hook 64 may also be fastened to another water-borne object alongside of the plane such as a suitable can or float 65, as shown in Fig. 6, the operation of which will be hereinafter described. Obviously, the lead line may be of smaller diameter and the equipment such as the pulleys associated therewith may be of lighter construction than those already described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to Figs. 7 and 8 the apparatus for operating the mooring and hoisting equipment illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 will now be described. The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 is, with the exception of the control mechanism for operating the control member 3|, identical with that illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 and therefore the description of those parts which have already been described will be omitted from the following:

Referring first to Fig. 7, a shaft 1c of the rotatably mounted drum 1| is connected to one side 12 of a differential 13 having a worm wheel 14 on the center member, and the other side 15 of the differential T3is connected to the shaft 16 of the drum I4. The drum H is adapted' to wind and unwind the lead line 60 which leads from the pulley 62 (Fig. beneath the biasing roller 32 and over and around the drum H, as shown more clearly in Fig. 8.

For the purpose of adjusting the length of the lead line 60 relative to that of the cable 4, the drum H is adapted to be rotated manually, relative to the drum [4 in the following manner. A rotatably mounted hand-wheel I6 is connected to drive the drum H through a'shaft H, worm 18 which meshes with the worm wheel 14 of the differential 13, the side 12 of this differential, and the shaft 10. Upon movement of the hand-wheel E6 the drum H will be rotated relative to the drum M in a direction corresponding to that in which the hand-wheel 1-6 is turned.

As the drum I4 is rotated, the drum "H will be rotated in the opposite direction through the differential 13. On this account, and for the purpose of maintaining a constant relation between the relative lengths of the cable 4 and the lead line 60, the lead line 60 and the cable 4 are so arranged relative to their respective drums, that the lead line 60 and the cable 4 are moved simultaneously and in the same direction upon the rotation of the drum I4.

It will be apparent that, in order to make the hooks 6 and 64 raise and lower together, it is necessary to impart'more motion to the cable 4 than to the lead-line 65 because of the doubling of the cable 6 from the boom 3 to the pulley 5. In the embodiment shown this is accomplished by making the drum 14 larger in diameter than the drum H, other means may be employed, for example, difierent speed of rotation of the two drums, to accomplish the same result.

The action of the tension in the lead-line 60 operates the biasing member 30 in the same manner as already described for the cable 4 in the description of Figs. 3 and 4, in controlling the movement of the control member 3| which, as already pointed out, controls the movement of the tilting box of the pump 25; therefore, this description will not be repeated.

Referring again to Figs. 5 and 6, the operation of mooring the seaplane ID to the vessel l and hoisting the plane on board thereon will now be described. With the plane in position for hoisting as indicated in Fig. 5, and the pedal device 52 in its locked position as shown in Figs. '7 and 8, thereby causing the control member 3i tomaintain the tilting box of the pump 25 in its neutral position, the pulley 5 and the hook 6 are in a raised position as at 5 and 6, while the hook'64 is lowered by means of the hand-wheel 16 to the seaplane I0, where it is received by a member. of the crew of the plane. The hook 64 is now either attached to the plane or held by the crew member, the pedal device 52 is depressed, releasing the control member 3| from its locked neutral position, and freeing this member so it is automatically controlled through the biasing member by means of the tension in the lead-line 6B. The hook 64 on the lead-line 60'will now follow the movement of the plane relative to the vessel and the hook 6 will rise and fall a like amount. Now by operation of the hand-wheel 16 the relative position of the hooks 64 and 6 is adjusted so that hook 6 is lowered to the plane but at the same time is following the movement of the hook 64 and the plane ID. The hook 6 is lowered till it may be attached to the plane with slight slack in the cable 4. 'Under this condition the hooks 64 and Bare both following the relative movement of the plane and vessel. The plane may now be hoisted when desired by the manual operation of the control member 3| by means of the hand lever .This arrangement of tackle and method of operation isparticularly advantageous under the condition of a heavy seaway or rough water to facilitate not only the attaching of the hook 6 to the plane but to automatically maintain the cable 4 against excessive slack during the mooring period.

It willxbeapparent that by the proper manipulation of the lead-line. 60 the plane may be hoisted by a member of the crew thereon, that is, by letting up on the line 60 the plane will be raised and by pulling down on the line the plane will be lowered.

Referring now to Fig. 6, it will be readily apparent that, in' a manner similar to that (already described for the operation of the lead-line 60 from the plane, the control member 3| may be operated by the tension in the lead-line 60 produced by the movement of the can 65 floating alongside of theplane and attached to the leadline 50 by means of the hook 64.

While the invention in its preferred form has been illustrated and described as being used for mooring a seaplane to a vessel and hoisting the plane on board thereof, it is apparent that the invention may be used in other environments and for various uses, and many of the features and the principle thereof may be applied to the handling and mooring of airships at any shore station or on board ship.

It will be obvious that various changes may bemade by thoseskilled in the art in the details of the embodiment ofthe invention disclosed in the drawings and described above within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a'mooring and hoisting apparatus including a hoisting drum and a hoisting cable operably connected thereto, a motor for operating the drum and means for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of the motor; a member positioned by the cable in accordance with thetension in the cable, a link connected at one end tothe member and with a slot in the other end, two'resilient means and a pivot therebetween mounted in the slot, means connecting the motor controlling means to the pivot, and manual means directly connected to the motor controlling means, -whereby the motor is controlled automatically in'accordance with the tension of the cable and is controlled directly by the manual means irrespective of the tension in the cable.

2.'In a mooring and hoisting apparatus including a hoisting drum and a hoisting cable operably connected thereto, a motor for rotating the drum and means for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of the motor; a second drum, means including a differential for rotating the second drum in accordance with the rotation of the hoisting drum, means for actuating the differential to rotatively adjust the second drum relative to the hoisting drum, 2. lead line connected to the second drum and adapted to be attached to afloating object, a member positioned by the lead line in accordance with the tension-on the lead line, a link connected at one end to the movable member and with a slot inthe other end, two resilient means and a pivot therebetween mounted in the slot, means connecting the motor controlling means to the pivot, and manual means directly connected to the motor control means, whereby the motor is controlled automatically in accordance with the tension in the lead line and is controlled directly by the-manual means irrespective of the tension in the lead line.

3. In a hoisting device of the type described, the combination comprising a rotatably mounted drum, a hoisting cable operably connected to the drum, a second rotatably mounted drum, means including a diiferential for rotating the second drum in accordance with the rotation of the first mentioned drum, .a lead line operably connected to the second drum and adapted to be attached to a floating object, a movable member positioned by the lead line in accordance with the tension in the lead line, a motor rotatively connected to the first mentioned drum, means for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of the motor, means operatively connected with said member and motor control means for actuating the motor control means in accordance with the position of the member, and means for actuating the difierential to rotatably adjust the second drum relative to the first mentioned drum.

RAYMOND E. CROOKE. 

